Rayne Hall

about this book: This is the eleventh book in the Ten Tales series of fantasy anthologies. Previous books featured vampires, ghosts, magicians, pirates, witches and dragons - this time the focus is on demons.

Demons may be the most dangerous of all paranormal creatures. Intelligent and deceitful, they are not only masters of disguise but they manipulate human desires. They blur the boundaries between right and wrong, exploit moral weaknesses, plant convictions in the victim's mind, and persuade humans that they want the thing the demon aims to bring about.

Every culture in the world has demons, but their nature, purpose and appearance varies.

Each of the authors in this anthology holds a different vision of demons, and has woven a story around this concept. Some have drawn inspiration from real life experiences, others from the traditions of their culture, and they all have used their vivid imagination. Their stories span a wide spectrum of styles – funny and scary, thought-provoking and disturbing.

I chose the stories with the aim to give the reader variety.

When you read this book, think about which story reflects your own idea of demons. Would you recognise a demon's wiles when it is baiting you.

To preserve each author's individual writing voice, I have kept the phrases, grammar, punctuation and spelling used in their part of the world, so you will find British and American English as well as regional variants.

The book cover art is by artist Jamie Chapman.

Some of the stories have been previously published, others are seen here for the first time. Here's the list:

1. THIEF AND DEMON by Jake Elwood
A gutter rat gets an offer she can't refuse.